Potential UPS Freight Strike

November 9, 2018

United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) has been warning UPS Freight customers of potential delays. On Monday, November, 12, 2018, 11,000 UPS Freight workers, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, may go on strike.

UPS posted a warning on its website that the company has already taken precautions against shipping delays by stopping to accept new pickups and emptying its network of freight by today. UPS Freight picked up new heavy shipments on November 7, and only guaranteed delivery of ground freight shipments through November 8.

“The company has now begun discussions with UPS Freight customers to inform them of the potential for service disruption and the need to arrange alternative carriers. Because we do not have a guarantee against a work stoppage, we cannot afford to put our customers’ volume at risk of being stranded in our system,” UPS said in a statement.

In October, the Teamsters union ratified a five-year labor agreement for UPS employees. However, a separate deal specific to UPS Freight workers was rejected and couldn’t be ratified. Votes are scheduled to be counted on Sunday, November 11. Should workers vote to ratify the contract, UPS will begin accepting new volume from UPS Freight customers.

In the same statement, UPS noted, “We are disappointed that the Freight Teamsters union leaders have chosen to announce the potential for a strike, should their members vote ‘no’ on the offer. A vote is scheduled to be counted on Sunday, November 11. With a ‘yes’ vote, we will resume operations and begin accepting new volume from UPS Freight customers as soon as scheduled pick-up and delivery orders are confirmed.”